Rap Music Is Not Evil

I can’t believe it took me the better part of a week to sit down and watch this incredibly inspiring and moving video! If you haven’t yet seen the footage of these two boys performing on Britain’s Got Talent, sit down now and watch it.

I promise it will be completely worth your time.

Pretty amazing, eh?

Now consider the fact that most people will tell you that boys don’t like to write. That boys can’t express emotion. And that rap music is a negative influence on our youth.

Consider what might have happened if someone — the boys’ parents, perhaps? – had kept them from rap music. Consider what might have happened if someone angrily insisted the boys “turn that @# off!” every time they listened to rap.

Words and music saved this boy’s soul, and became the vehicle by which he inspires others. An un -supportive adult could have stolen that from him. Could have kept him from finding healing and from sharing his gifts with the world. But someone clearly saw and nurtured his interest. Someone did not discourage him, or tell him that rap is a waste of time. Someone gave him the time and support he needed to make it to the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. And look what he’s done!

Think about that, the next time your son is deeply interested in something that makes no sense to you, whether that something is rap music or video games or a fantasy card game.

A deep interest in anything can lead anywhere — and if your son is deeply interested in something, he’s getting something from it, even if you don’t know what that is yet. He might not even know what it is yet. But something in his “thing” – whatever his interest is — is speaking to his soul.

Listen, I know it’s hard to sit and watch while your son spends hour upon hour playing video games. Or watching Minecraft videos. Or listening to rap music with lyrics that make you blush. I’m not saying that you need to step back and let your boys do whatever, whenever, or that you can’t set limits.

I’m asking you to observe and pay attention. Before you comment and intervene, try to figure out why your son is attracted to the activity or interest. Try to figure out what he’s getting out of it.

I wasn’t thrilled when my sons began listening to Eminem, aka the Real Slim Shady. Eminem has always sounded angry to me, and his lyrics have a reputation for being violent and misogynistic. Not exactly the kind of stuff I want filling my boys’ heads, you know?

But I listened with them. I watched some of his videos with them. And you know what? Eminem is a damn good writer! Seriously. His ability to capture a moment or a scene in a few rhyming words is amazing. And some his songs, I learned, are kind of inspirational. And that’s what my sons liked about him: they liked the inspirational songs and the energy of the music.

You can make your own decisions for your house and family. The next time you’re close to issuing a blanket “no,” I ask you to remember the boys from Britain’s Got Talent. I ask you to remember that a deep interest in anything can lead to anywhere, and I ask you to keep an open mind.

Have you ever found yourself struggling to accept your boys’ interests? What happened? Tell us about it!